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Do you judge it by how well it mirrors reality, or by how well it helps you solve problems and take action?

Most of the Western philosophical tradition treats philosophy as, in the words of Richard Rorty, a “mirror of nature”—a system dedicated to reflecting the world as it is. But language makes an imperfect mirror, and attempts to map reality through it can lead to fuzzy thinking. John Dewey helped found the tradition of American pragmatism, which maintains that philosophy is simply a tool to solve practical problems—one whose answers are good or bad insofar as they’re useful, not insofar as they mirror the world.

A refreshing absence of theory

There’s a lot to like about pragmatism. Most of today’s philosophy privileges theory: postmodern readings of classic texts, for example, use it to draw out arguments that the authors never intended to make. (Plato wrote the Phaedrus about love and rhetoric; Derrida, the postmodern godfather, read it about “play,” “trace,” and “différance.”) But Dewey’s pragmatism leaves no room for theory—all that matters is inquiry and, based on its results, the decision whether a given hypothesis is “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.” Objective and results-oriented, pragmatism amounts to a wholesale alternative to postmodernism—one that predates it by more than 50 years.

But what about absolute truth?

Though pragmatism departs from postmodernism in its rejection of theory, it parallels it in one extremely interesting area: its treatment of absolute truth. You’ll notice that Dewey is concerned with satisfactory and unsatisfactory outcomes, not right and wrong ones. Bertrand Russell draws out the distinction:

“Truth, as conceived by most professional philosophers, is static and final, perfect and eternal; in religious terminology, it may be identified with God’s thoughts, and with those thoughts which, as rational beings, we share with God. . . . [But] Dewey makes inquiry the essence of logic, not truth or knowledge. . . . Dewey, like everyone else, divides beliefs into two classes, of which one is good and the other bad. He holds, however, that a belief may be good at one time and bad at another . . . . Thus a belief about some event in the past is to be classified as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ not according to whether the event took place, but according to the future effects of the belief.”

What, then, to make of pragmatism—so clear-headed in its lack of theoretical pretense, yet so dismissive of absolute truth?

Russell continues:

“Dewey’s divergence from what has hitherto been regarded as common sense is his refusal to admit ‘facts’ into his metaphysic, in the sense in which ‘facts’ are stubborn and cannot be manipulated. In this it may be that common sense is changing, and that his view will not seem contrary to what common sense is becoming. . . . It has seemed to me that [Dewey’s] belief in human power [as arbiter of truth], and the unwillingness to admit ‘stubborn facts,’ were connected with the hopefulness engendered by machine production and the scientific manipulation of our physical environment.”

That is, pragmatism is, in its emphasis on the human, uniquely of our time. Russell argued the point in 1945, and his conclusions continue to ring true. That makes understanding pragmatism singularly important.

Know the culture: get Dewey’s select works for 80%+ off

You’re a serious thinker. You’re interested in how the culture handles objective truth—and why. And for just a few more days, you can a great deal on an outstanding entry point into the cultural conversation: the 11-volume Select Works of John Dewey, on Community Pricing for 89% off. Because these are Logos books, they represent the most useful editions of Dewey’s works—ever—and because they’re on Community Pricing, they’re the best deal on Dewey you’ll ever see.

It may still be winter, but we’re excited to start recruiting the best and brightest for our 2014 summer internship program. Logos is looking for interns in a variety of fields—whether you have a passion for coding, marketing, or communications, we have an internship for you!

As a former intern, I cannot speak highly enough of the valuable experience you’ll gain at Logos. You’ll be placed on a team of smart, motivated coworkers who are ready to collaborate, work hard, and succeed.

What it’s like to be a Logos intern

In the marketing department, you could be crafting blog posts, strategizing emails, building new websites, and running entire promotions. Our previous and current interns have praised the trust and empowerment they experience. Talk about a résumé-booster—and maybe even a future job!

“As an intern, I never felt like I was part of a program—I was treated the same as full-time employees, with the same training and responsibilities. My team made me feel trusted, competent, and capable.”

—Pam, marketing communications (now a full-time employee)

If you intern in development, you’ll work with the latest technologies and tackle projects that will benefit thousands of people every day. You’ll be writing desktop, mobile, and web applications for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, using a variety of coding languages. Plus, you’ll have a full-time mentor giving you feedback and ideas for further growth. You’ll get real-world dev experience that you just can’t find in the classroom.

“With a dedicated full-time mentor guiding my learning, I was given ample opportunity to flex my coding muscle outside the classroom. I learned more in those first nine weeks than I had over two years at college.”

—Ryan, software development (now a full-time employee)

It gets sweeter. Not only will you be gaining awesome experience—these internships are paid!

This 19-volume collection examines the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. You’ll learn about Jesus’ use of parables, analyze the literary features of the canonical Gospels, and assess the Gospel of Thomas. The collection includes an introduction to the Synoptic Gospels, studies on the Gospels’ named women, and comprehensive guides to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Richard Bauckham offers an in-depth study of both the individual women who appear in the Gospels and the specific passages in which they appear. This unique approach reveals that there is much more to be known about these women than previous studies have assumed.

“The texts that deal with women in the New Testament have been worked over so often it might seem that there is nothing left to say. In this masterful study Richard Bauckham easily proves this is not the case.” —Marianne Meye Thompson, professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

Klyne Snodgrass explores, in vivid detail, the context in which Jesus told his parables, the purpose they had in his message, and the ways they have been interpreted by the church and modern scholarship.

“I have been looking for a book like this on the parables all my career. I celebrate its appearance.” —Charles H. Talbert, distinguished professor of religion, Baylor University

These thorough studies are ideal for scholars, students, and anyone else interested in furthering their study of the Bible.

We have two more dissertations on Pre-Pub that you won’t want to miss:

What’s the message of David and Goliath?

In Rethinking David and Goliath, Lisa A. Eary examines the familiar story of the Israelite shepherd boy fighting the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17). Rejecting some popular understandings of the story, she argues that it’s less about overcoming giants than it is about seeing situations from God’s perspective and acting on faith in that belief. Eary’s dissertation was just completed in 2012, and you can help turn it into a book! Pre-order Rethinking David and Goliath today.

From Babel to Babylon

In The Biblical Polemic against Empires, J. Lanier Burns, research professor of biblical studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, explores the Bible’s attack on Babylon. He started out with an interest in the events of Revelation 17–18 and continued into an exploration of the Old Testament, particularly Genesis 10–11 and various passages in the Prophets. He discovered that the biblical critique of Babylon is dominated by themes of deity, kingship, and city.

In summary, Burns writes, “Ancient Babylonians believed that gods, which were the personified, generative forces of the environment, governed the universe and could be manipulated through cult [that is, a sacrificial system]. This was the basic background of the biblical dispute (and the basic contrast of biblical theology). The faithful Hebrews believed that their personal, righteous, and living God governed creation according to His revealed will, and the cult memorialized His redemptive, historical acts for His covenant people.” Keep learning about the biblical critique of Babylon: pre-order The Biblical Polemic against Empires now.

February has begun, and it’s time for another free book. We’ve teamed up with 9Marks to give you a free copy of Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry! Get yours now.

“I thoroughly appreciated Lawrence’s fresh approach to ecclesiology. While there are many treasures in this book, its primary richness comes from following the flow of redemptive history five times over . . . Looking at biblical theology like one stone with many facets was an exceptionally enlightening approach. This is a book to be read and reread.” —John MacArthur, pastor at Grace Community Church

Ideal for scholars and students

Michael Lawrence assesses the pastor’s tools of the trade—exegetical, biblical, and systematic theology—and commends biblical theology as the most useful. He helpfully distinguishes between biblical and systematic theology, but also emphasizes the importance of their collaboration in ministry.

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church gives you an understanding of how each part of the Bible fits together. It presents the practical importance of biblical theology for ministry, using the discipline to give a complete history of the Bible from multiple angles. The book is rich in application and practical insight into counseling, missions, caring for the poor, and church relations.

Learning should never stop. A good biblical and theological education sharpens the mind, illuminates God and his character through his Word, and provides the tools we need to better love and serve the church. That’s why we’re so excited about Logos Mobile Education. Logos Mobile Ed is uniquely positioned not only to deliver world-class lecture content in a useful and innovative way, but also to give students the ability to, with a click, delve into whole new worlds of background information, infographics and illustrations, cross-references, and all manner of reference materials.

A first look at the Mobile Ed courses

We’d like to give you a glimpse of Mobile Ed, and how using it can practically and immediately benefit your ministry, your family, and your faith. This video will walk you through an overview of Mobile Ed and the features and tools that surround the courses.

Advancing the standard of theological education

Mobile Ed meets you where you are—it’s available on your desktop computer, on the web, and on your mobile devices. In a traditional course, you’re only as good as your notes. But with Mobile Ed, you always have the lectures and transcripts with you, and they’re searchable, to help you find what you’re looking for without wasting any time. If you’re not a Logos power-user, don’t let that stop you! Each course includes video tutorials on how to dig even deeper using Logos’ tools, features, and resources.

Start learning!

There are quite a few courses available now, with many more coming soon. You can jump into Mobile Ed right away with the Bible and Doctrine Foundations Bundle, and pre-order other courses that will be here soon. Here’s what’s available:

Elyse Fitzpatrick Bundle (3 courses)—Elyse Fitzpatrick takes you through three courses on counseling and personal and professional development, helping you better love those around you and strengthening your faith in your identity in Christ. Learn more

Reftagger is a free tool that lets your web visitors instantly view a Bible passage by hovering over the Scripture reference. Instead of sending your readers off your site to check your Bible references, you can give them Scripture right where they are, in any translation you like.

It’s as simple as this: Gen. 1:1.

Why people love Reftagger

Some amazing sites—including The Gospel Coalition and Grace to You—are putting Reftagger to good use, and billions of references are already tagged online. We’re still receiving enthusiastic reviews from around the web:

“We love Reftagger. It not only saves our team tons of time by automatically linking Bible verses, but also gives readers a better experience on our site because they don’t have to leave the article to read the linked verses.” —TheResurgence.com

“Having experimented with each of the available Bible verse link programs out there, we have found Reftagger to be the most feature rich, stable, and easy to use.” —S. Michael Houdmann, CEO of GotQuestions.org

It’s better than ever—and still free!

As if there weren’t enough going for Reftagger, we’ve made it even better with a new site and some brand-new features: a new tooltip design with light and dark options, autosizing tooltips that let your readers see more Scripture without leaving your site, chapter-level tagging, social sharing, and more.

Whether you already love Reftagger or you’re trying it for the first time, head over to Reftagger.com, grab the new code, and start using it today!

Yesterday was the first day of Vyrso’s 10 Days of Love! Each weekday through February 14, we’ll be featuring a new 24-hour book bundle on growing closer to Christ and building healthy, loving relationships.

Pastors, wives, Christians trying to navigate the dating world—we’ve got a bundle for everyone. Plus, all the bundles are 60% off!

Over the next two weeks, we’ll also feature guest posts and interviews from some of your favorite Christian relationship experts. They’ll share their best marriage and relationship advice, discuss their personal struggles with love, and offer practical tips for being more caring and loving to those around you.

We’ll announce a new bundle every morning on the Vyrso blog and through our Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages, so stay tuned for huge savings! And don’t forget to share your favorite bundles on your social channels with #10DaysofLove.

This bundle is packed with advice on growing closer to those around you and spending daily time with Christ. You’ll receive biblically sound dating advice from Caleb Breakey and a book of prayers by John MacArthur, and you’ll learn to share your faith—even with strangers—with the help of Chris Tomlinson’s Crave.

Here’s what you’ll get:

At the Throne of Grace: A Book of Prayers by John MacArthur

Called to Stay: An Uncompromising Mission to Save Your Church by Caleb Breakey

Crave: Wanting So Much More of God by Chris Tomlinson

Dating like Airplanes: Why Just Fall in Love When You Can Fly? by Caleb Breakey

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, founding member of the Confessing Church, and anti-Nazi. His writings on Christianity’s role in the secular world have become widely influential, and many have labeled his The Cost of Discipleship a modern classic.

Today, we celebrate his 108th birthday with discounts on some of our most popular Bonhoeffer resources:

This widely acclaimed series gives you the definitive English translations of the German Dietrich Bonhoeffer Werke. It’s a comprehensive, thoroughly annotated resource for the study of Bonhoeffer in the wider frame of twentieth-century thought and history.

The T&T Clark Studies on Bonhoeffer collection presents fascinating insights into this significant figure. In Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945, Ferdinand Schlingensiepen turns a lifetime of scholarship into the gold standard in Bonhoeffer biography. In Who Am I?: Bonhoeffer’s Theology through His Poetry, Bernd Wannenwetsch and others present Bonheoffer’s prison poems, shedding light on his life and development of thought. And in Theology against Religion, Tom Greggs analyzes Bonhoeffer and Barth, two of the most influential figures in modern Christianity, arguing that they followed essentially the same trajectory

This volume by Geffrey Kelly provides a critical analysis and reading guide to two of Bonhoeffer’s great classics, Discipleship and Life Together. Reading Bonhoeffer offers a running commentary on each segment of these popular texts, as well as discussion questions suitable for the university or seminary classroom or an adult-education program.